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Haywood students met by parents as they return to class

Students arrived at school, and they all went to class instead of having a significant portion of them outside at the edge of campus protesting after administrators punished a group of students who made threats to hang black students in the school with a 10-page essay.

Haywood students met by parents as they return to class

Rev. Undrae Johnson is joined with other supporters, including family, of students to welcome students back to class at Haywood High School, Wednesday, December 6, after two days of student-lead protests.
KENNETH CUMMINGS/The Jackson Sun

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Haywood High School parents welcome students back to school, Wednesday morning to show their support after the student-lead protests, Monday and Tuesday.(Photo: KENNETH CUMMINGS/The Jackson Sun)Buy Photo

BROWNSVILLE – Warm smiles and a cool morning greeted students Wednesday at Haywood High School.

After two days of protests, things began returning to normal for the school.

Students went to class instead of protesting outside at the edge of campus after administrators gave as punishment a 10-page essay to a group of students who made threats to hang black students.

“We were heard, and they listened, and now we can get back to business of school,” said Undrae Johnson, pastor of Family Life Fellowship Church in Brownsville.

Two groups of parents and other adults who helped with the protest met students at each entrance to the school with high-fives, low-fives, good mornings and a joke or anything else that might help a student smile before their school day officially began.

Parents and adults planned the morning greeting after Haywood Schools Superintendent Joey Hassell met with the parents, organizing students and members of the NAACP Tuesday afternoon and officially announced the suspension of the offending students, principal Dr. Jerry Pyron and one of the school’s assistant principals. All are suspended until the investigation is complete.

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Pastor Undrae Johnson gives Haywood County High School students high fives as they walk into school, Wednesday morning. Johnson was joined with other parents and adults to show their support for the students after the student-lead protests, Monday and Tuesday.(Photo: KENNETH CUMMINGS/The Jackson Sun)

The morning greeting was initially met with caution as Brownsville police officers stationed at the front of the school initially weren’t sure whether adults were allowed to be at the school’s entrance. Communication with the administration resulted in the groups being allowed to stay outside to greet the students as long as they didn’t enter the building.

“That’s all we wanted anyway,” Johnson said, speaking for the group.

The reaction of parents dropping off their children went from a mother telling her daughter to call her if there was any trouble to other mothers putting their windows down to shout thanks to the adults for what they’d accomplished this week.

“Thanks for making sure my baby is safe in school!” one mother said before driving away.

All students were greeted. Some were shy and gave a simple nod going into school. Others were more enthusiastic, particularly the ones who knew the adults personally.

One official from the school came out for photos of the group to share on the school’s social media accounts.

“This is something positive, and we are united with you,” the official said before going back into school.

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Shaheed Madyun and Pastor Undrae Johnson receive high-fives from a Haywood County High School student as he walked into school, Wednesday morning. Madyun and Johnson were joined with other parents and adults to show their support for the students after the student-lead protests, Monday and Tuesday.
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That statement was backed up by Hassell joining in the line and helping greet arriving students before they went to class.

“It’s going to be a good day, right?” he asked a student before receiving a “yes sir” in response.

The school district said their next steps will be to investigate the students and administrators thoroughly, which could result in the expulsion of the students, according to district policy.

While the district investigates, students and teachers are back in class.

“That’s all we wanted — for our students to get back to class and being assured they’re safe while they’re there,” Johnson said.

Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731-425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.